Gasoline tank



Feb. 1,1927. 15,616,008

w. B.. s'rouT GASOLINE TANK Filed Feb. 20, 1925` gnou/Moi -lat-'Tala'r oFFici-z.

'WILLIAM B. STOUT, OF DETRQIT, MICHIGAN.

GASOLINE TANK.

Application led February This invention relates to gasoline tanks such as are required for the storage of gasoline in aeroplanes. and wherein it is required that means be provided in the form of splash plates for the purpose of preventing undue wave action or splashing of the gasoline from end to end or from side to side of the tank when it is subjected to such vibrations or motions as would ordinarily result in such wave or splashing action.

Hitherto great vdiiliculty 'has been expe'- rienced in securing a comparatively fiat tank of light construction capable of electively withstanding internal pressure, particularly when such tank has been-,required to also withstand the vibrationfi; and strains such as are met with in aeroplane practice; and it is an object of'this invention to provide a tank which will meet these conditions in an eiiicient manner without lnecessitating the weight usually associated with robust con-- struction ordinarily required to secure adequate strength,A or the use of rivets or similar connecting means'between the shell or body and the internal supporting structure.

The invention `also has as its -objective the rovision of asplash plate structure coor inating with the structure of the tank in 4afmanner assisting in the strengtheningl ofthe same to resist pressures and strains a s requlred, and also electing a distribution of the forces resulting from either internalor external pressure, and rendering them less -liable to result in injuryl to the- A furtherjobjectis-toveliminate the `.use of rivets in. the construction ofthe body of the tank and in the'securing of the splash plate structure thereto, whilst obtaining a. tank and splashiplate structure wherein the application of internal forces resulting from a pressure -therewit-hin have a .tendency to render more elective thesupporting of the body of the tank by the splash plate structure and of the splash plate structure by the the body of the tank; and a still further object of the invention is to provide a splash plate structure within the tank without riveting or similar positive connection there to in a manner ensuring the said splash plate structure` against shifting or similar disturbance within' the said tank.

' Still. urtherlobjelcts subsidiary to-or.resultingf'from theaforesaid objects, orl from the construction or operation of the invention as itmay be carried into effect, will .20, 1925. vaerial No. 10,541.

become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed'. y

In carrying the said. invention into effect I may providea sheet metal tank of'ellipti'- cal ,configuration in cross section, the ends whereof are welded lo1' soldered into po sition and the body of which is provided with a series of annular outwardly distended corruga-tions; and longitudinally disposed splash plates Within the said tank supported by transverse elliptical partitions, the edges gf which partitions extend into and are held y manner that the said corrugations effectively prevent the movement of the said partitions and consequently of the splash plates, and whereby, further, the said partitions ei'ect a distribution of forces resulting from internal or external pressures applied to the body of the tank in a manner reventing undesired distortion of the tank by such forces. l

All of which is more particularly described and ascertained hereinafter, by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, `of a gasoline tank embodying the said invention;

Figure 2 is a plan of the same, also partly broken away to show the interior construction;

Figure 3 is a transverse section, taken en the line tlf-5" of Figure 2; and v Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional View of the wing of an aeroplane, illustrating the adaptability of the said tank thereto.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in Ithe several figures of the drawing. l

The tank is illustrated as formed from a sheet of metal 1 bent to a tubular elliptical form and joined at 2,. such as by welding 3,`the minor axis thereof being vertical when 4the tank is laid upon its side and the ends 4 and 5 of the tank being also elliptical and the said annular corrugations in suclrv i provided with outwardly turned flanges 6 and 7 which are inserted into the saidfe'nd's of the tank. 8 and 9 indicate theiajvxeldirigV 'fwhich may be employed for the securing;l of theend plates in position. The welding,'

where such method of sealing theends'of the plate 1 and'f'the oints between the end. e plate 1 is employed,

-plates 4 and 5 and t may be effected-electrically@ in any other convenient manner.

Within and at intervals in the length of the tank are arranged partitions and 11, the said partitions being also elliptically shaped and provided -with openings12 to afford communication between the compartments formed by the said partition, the said openings being preferably so disposed throughout the partitions that the 'said partitions may act as splash plates for the. interference of flow of gasoline or other liquid in the tank freely from end to end th-ereof to such an extent as would be objectionable, and to break up the body of liquid in a manner preventing the violent tossing of the same from end to end in the tank when the same is subjected to motions which would ordinarily have that effect.

The said partitions are of somewhat greater dimensions than the general cross sectional dimensions of the body of the tank, and for their accommodation the said tank is provided with annular ribs or corrugations 13 and 14, outwardly distended to form annular recesses on the inner wall of the said tank into which the margins 15 and 16 of the said partitions extend, these margins being in the form of arcuate flanges or hollow rims nesting within the recesses formed by the said corrugations 13 and 14 respectively.

Several imiportant results are secured by this arrangement of the partitions within the tank as will now be explained. In the first place, the engagement of the partiti-ons by the corrugations effectively secures the said partitions in position without necessitating riveting, welding or further means of attachment; the presence of the partitions in this manner ensures the distribution of strains tending to distort the body of the tank, such as the strain resulting from internal pressures when the device is used as a pressure tank, the ltendency of such pressure to expand the tank in the direction `of its minor axis simply resulting in a tendency to reduce the major axis thereof which is resisted by the partitions with a consequent firmer engagement of the wall of the tank about the ends of the said partitions. Thus the effect of such pressure,

instead of reducing or tending to reduce thesupport of the walls of the tank by the partitions, effects a closer binding of the same together whereby, unless the pressure beso much greater than that for which the tank is designed that an actual disruption of the walls thereof would take place, no objectionable distortion of the tank would result from the internal pressure. Incidentally, of course, the described reinforcement -of the tank by the said partitions resists the damaging thereof by externally applied pressures or strains as will be quite obvious.

It will be further noted that the Hanging of the margins of the partitions and the nesting of the same in the annular corrugations ofthe tank ensures a substantial bearing surface between the partitions and the body of the tank and also strengthens the partitions very materially. The presence of the corrugations also of itself forms a reinforcement of the tank.

The said partitions are still further strengthened and their usefulness increased by the attachment thereto of splash plates 17, 18 and 19. rlhese are arranged vertically in spaced relation transversely of the tank and are provided with'openings 2() functioning in the samel manner as the openings 12 of the partitions 1() and 11 to pei'- mit flow of the gasoline or liquid transversely of the tank, atthe same time break up the body of the liquid to prevent excessive tossing thereof when the motions of the tank would ordinarily result in such action. v

`The plates 18 extend between the partitions y10 and 11 and are provided with flanges 21 and 22 secured thereto and forming braces for the said partitions which in turn form supports for the said splash plates. Such splash plates, therefore, do not require to be directly secured to the body of the tank and are very effectively and rigidly supported therewithin, any strain upon the splash plates by the liquid within the tank being absorbed by the partitions and distributed throughout the body of the tank thereby. The said splash plates 18 also effect the mutual supporting of the partitions 10 and 11 so that most of the strains to which the said partitions are subjected. particularly those which have a tendency to buckle them, are distributed throughout both of them as will be apparent.

The splash plates 17 and 19 are also pro vided with fianges 23 and 24 secured to the said partitions 10 and 11 respectively and at their outer ends with recesses 25 and 2G within which are situated transverse chan nels 27 and 28 secured to lugsl 29 and 30 ou the said splash plate 17 and 19 respectively.

The end portions of the body of the tank are inwardly ribbed or corrugated at 31 and 32 to provide for the reinforcement thereof and the channels 27 and 28 extend transversely Within the tank and in the direction of the majo-r axis thereof into contact with the said corrugations 31 and 32 so that they also resist the reducing of the major axis at the ends of the tank and consequently the expanding of the tank in the direction of its minor axis.

As `will be seen from Figure 4,/of the drawing, the shape resulting front/the construction of the tank in this manner lends itself to utilization in narrow restricted locations such forexample as in the wing of an aeroplane, 33 indicating a hollow wing having struts 34 ianking a space or chamber 35 within which the tank is situated and secured by supporting means 36 and embracing means 37.

In a tank built upon the lines suggested in the example, no direct attachment is necessitated between the splash plates and the body of the tank and advantage is taken of the said splash p-lates and their supporting means in the reinforcing of the tank as explained, a minimum number of seams and freedom'y from rivets or connections in the body of the tank being secured Without complicating the structure thereof, and a simple design being maintained capable of easy manufacture and greatdurability without excessive Weight.

Herein, and in the claims appended hereto, the term Ielliptical as applied to thel shape of the tank and its partitions is not intended to vbe read in the technical sense as merely indicating structures in the form of a precise geometric ellipse but to indicate;`

such approximate shape wherein such parts are curved and of greater dimension through one axis than through an axis transverse thereto.

This invention may be developed Within the scope of the .following claims Without departing from the essentialfeatures of the said invention, and it is desired that the specification and drawing be read as merely illustrative and not in a limiting sense, except as necessitated by the prior art.

1. A gasoline tank comprising an elliptic cylindrical body, reinforcing annular corrugations proximate to the ends thereof, a

plurality of reinforcing corrugations intermediate the ends of said tank, transverse partitions held by said corrugations, longitudinally disposed splash plates connectedv and supported 'by said partitions, splash plates extending,r from the proximity of the ends of said tank to the adJacent partitions, and bracing means engaging the end corrugation of said tank connecting last named splash plates together.

2. Av gasoline tank comprising a splash plate structure including longitudinal splash plates, transverse elliptical partitions to support the latter, a body comprising a shell of metal formed with. a plurality of spaced intermediate internal peripheral grooves in which the peripheries of said partition are engaged and said body also formed with end peripheral grooves, elliptical plates closing the ends of'said body, and transverse bracing .bars at each end of the tank held in said splash plates secured to said partition plates,l

bracing bars in the ends of the tank and engaging with said end grooves adapted to stiflen said splash plate structure, land flanged end plates fitted Within the extreme ends ofthe tank, and Welded thereunto.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM B. STOUT. 

